Mill Creek City Council picks city manager finalist

Michael Ciaravino at City of Newburgh city council meeting. Photo courtesy of Orange County Post.

By Richard Van Winkle, News of Mill Creek.

At their April 2, 2019, meeting, the Mill Creek City Council identified Michael Gerard Ciaravino as their pick to lead the city as the new city manager.

In an unanimous vote they directed City Attorney Scott Missall to negotiate an employment agreement with Ciaravino in time for their April 9th meeting where they are expected to finalize their city manager search.

Also on April 2nd, the city council extended Interim City Manager Bob Stowe’s personal services contract to allow for a smooth leadership transition.

Ciaravino has extensive experience leading cities in New York State and Ohio. He served as city manager of the City of Newburgh, New York, from 2014 until his resignation in September 2018.

The editorial stated, “He was not forced out, as so many of his predecessors were. He does not leave a mess, as did so many in the past. He is not departing because of the nasty politics that had him in a kind of limbo where there might not be enough votes on the city council to give him the salary and security he deserved but also not enough votes to send him away.”

The editorial went on to express admiration for Ciaravino’s accomplishments including improving the city’s water supply and stabilizing the police department.

According to a City of Mill Creek news release, “Ciaravino holds a juris doctorate degree from Case Western Reserve School of Law in Ohio, and a bachelor’s degree in political science and economics from John Carroll University in Ohio.”